Ironing board



0 cited objects in view,

in which Figure Patented Mar. 20, .1923.

u rren ANDREW OB PUIEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IRONING BOARD.

Application filed March 27, 1922. Serial No. 546,957.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW QBnrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, coun y, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing Boards, of which the following is a speci fication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to in'iprovements in ironing boards and particularly to ironing boards of the folding type which are provided with collapsible supports.

Among the objects of my invention are the provision in an ironing board of the character specified, of collapsible supports adapted to fold against the board and to lie flat thereagainst, so that the folded structure shall occupy a minimum of space when stored; the provision of supports such that, when, unfolded, a maximum. of rigidity is attained by their mutual bracing; the further provision of means adapted to permit of the adjustability of a plurality of the supporting members relatively to each other, whereby a tripod base results, affording a maximum of stability; and also, the provision of a spring catch adapted when locked to hold all the supports in fixed relation, and further adapted to be released by a fin ger-pull conveniently located beneath and at the end of the board. Further objects are simplicity and strength of construction; lightness, compactness and fewness of parts; ease of operation in setting up and taking down; strength, rigidity and stability in operation; and finally cheapness and econ-- only of manufacturing cost.

\Vith the foregoing and hereinafter remy invention consists in the arrangement of parts substantially as shown in the drai'vings, in which is shown the preferred structural embodiment of my improvements in ironing boards, and 1 is a side view in vertical elevation of said board as extended for use; Figure 2 is an end view looking from the left side of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the under side of the collapsed board; and Figure 1 is a detail of the adjustable spreader, taken upon the section line &l of Figure 2.

Like reference numerals indicate the same parts throughout the several views, in which 1 is the ironing board or table; 2 and 3 are supports or legs adapted to turn upon the bolt 1 which is secured by blocks 5 and 6 to the under-side of'the boardl, these blocks being held to said board by screws. The bolt 4 extends through holes 7 and 8 in the supports 2 and 3, respectively, these holes being flared at the outer sides to permit the feet 9 and 10 of the supports to be moved away from each other, for which purpose the upper ends of the supports are cut away at their inner and opposing sides, 11 and 12, so that as the feet are spread apart these sides contact with and are supported by the blocks 5 and 6, respectively. The bolt 1 has a head at one end and a nut at the other.

The feet 9 and 10 are connected by the braces 13 and 1a which are pivoted at their outer ends to the supports 2 and 3, respectively, and slide upon each other through the guide clamp 15, the outward motion of either being limited by the stops 16. The clamp 15 has a thumb screw 17 adapted to hold the braces 18 and 1 1 tightly together in their adjusted position. Upon the bolt 1 is also pivoted a diagonal support composed of two parts, 18 and 19, spaced apart at their pivoted ends and held together at their opposite or foot end by a transverse screw, a metal plate 20 being attached preferably to this foot for strength and to prevent slipping. 21 is a diagonal support, pivoted at 22 between the parts 18 and 19, and attached at its lowerend by a pin 23 fixed to the block of the clamp 15, the pin 23 extending through the slot 24 in the support 21, the upper end 25 of said support 21 being chamfered to seat against the under surface of the board 1 and to engage between it and the stop 26. A notch 27 in said support 21 is adapted to receive the tongue 28 of a spring latch 29, the said latch tongue having a rearward extension 30 terminated by a finger pull 31, conveniently located at the end of the board and below its top.

The methodof operation is as follows: Assuming the board erected as shown in Fig. 1, retraction of the latch permits the diagonal support 21 to swing upon its pivot 22 and to be received between the parts 18 and 19 of the other diagonal support as the latter is raised until it is in the plane of the supports 2 and 3, when all supports may be swung upon the bolt 4: against the board 1, and will lie snugly thereagainst.

The board, with supports collapsed as shown in Figure 3, is opened by lifting the foot to a vertical position, all supports rising therewith. The supports 2 and 3 being thus maintained in this position, the diagonals fall forward into place automatically upon manual release, the end of the support 21 engaging the stop 26 and becoming latched by its own pressure. The board is then stood upon its supports, and the legs 2 and 3 are spread apart, the clamp 15 being tightened when the desired divergence therebetween is attained.

I am aware that prior patents disclose ironing boards and tables having vertical and diagonal supports adapted to collapse, but I believe that my im 'irovement there over by which one diagonal support of substantially triangular form nests within the other diagonal support and both nest within the vertical supports, all said supports, when collapsed and so nested lying flat against saidboard and presenting a surface parallel to the board, is new; also the particular features of advantage and utility are new, namely, that said supports are opened up by a single manual operation and when extended, become rigidly fixed relatively to each other semi-automatically by the inner diagonal member snapping into place and engaging the catch which locks said member and, through it, holds all said supports in rigid relation; and finally, that by the provisions of a convenient manual release, the supports are unlocked and so arranged that a single operation causes them to fold and nest semi-automatically, as described.

Having thus described my improvement, I claim as new The combination of an ironing board with collapsible supports therefor, comprising a diagonal support pivoted between two members adapted to constitute a second diagonal support and adapted to nest between said members when the supports are collapsed; a pair of vertical supports pivoted to a rod beneath said board, said rod constituting the sole attachment between said board and its supports, the second diagonal support being also pivoted upon said rod; an adjustable brace between said vertical supports, whereby when extended said supports may be moved out of the perpendicular and afford, with the second diagonal support, a tripod base for said board, the said vertical supports being adapted to receive the diagonal supports when c0llapsed and to nest same fiat against said board; a sliding connection between one end of said first-named diagonal support and said adjustable brace, the other end of said diagonal support being formed to engage a stop upon the under surface of said board and a spring latch upon said surface adapted to lock the end of said diagonal support against said stop, said locking action serving to hold all supports rigidly in their extended positions.

ANDREWV OBRIEN. 

